


Fragments of faith

by Alex20



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence I guess?, Established Relationship, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Patch 9.1 Spoilers, Wranduin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:03:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29584872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alex20/pseuds/Alex20
Summary: Anduin Wrynn has beem kept captive in the Maw for months. With the last twist of events, rescuing him is more important than ever. Wrathion takes it as his mission, accepting the help of others close to Anduin. Will they be able to save the King, or will it be too late?SPOILERS from patch 9.1 cinematic. Canon divergence because we don't really know what is going on and what will happen next.
Relationships: Wrathion/Anduin Wrynn
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't watched the new cinematic, proceed with caution. Spoilers ahead.  
> Usual disclaimer: English is my second language, I'm dyslexic and have no beta reader other than myself, so all mistakes are mine. First chaptered thing I write in years, second WoW fic ever.
> 
> Dedicated to all the lovely people in the Wranduin discord for their help and encouragement.

Wrathion barely took a look around the Ring of Fates before heading to the Enclave. When he got there, he could see Bolvar Fordragon, Jaina Proudmoore and Baine Bloodhoof in deep conversation, a look of worry on their faces. Thrall was in a corner speaking with Calia Menethil and Taelia Fordragon .

“Where is he? What the hell happened? What did that banshee _bitch_ do now?”

“Wrathion, welcome. I wish we could meet again under better circumstances”

“Chieftain Bloodhoof. Baine, please. I need to know what happened. Last I knew, the Champions were trying to save Anduin from the Maw but Sylvanas and that Jailer, whatever he is, weren't letting him go. And now one of them told me something _worse_ happened to him?”

It was Bolvar who spoke next, with such a tense tone that it gave Wrathion goosebumps.

“We don't know for sure what happened. There's no easy way to put this, but it seems like Anduin has been... posessed? Mind-controlled? The only thing I can confirm is that King Anduin Wrynn isn't himself at the moment. Sylvanas and the Jailer have done something to him and he isn't the sweet young man we all know. He... went to Bastion and _killed the Archon._ According to the Ascendants that were present, he said something about a key he needed to get from the Archon before stabbing her in the chest. Then, he disappeared. We are guessing he went back to his... _master_ ”

Wrathion felt like _he_ had been stabbed. What had they done to his lover? How could he save him? There was a lot he needed to think about, and he would need to contact some of the Champions. He would have to send some of his Blacktalons to the Maw too, but they would need to be extra cautious. Light knew what dangers they could find there.

The rest of the day went by with different meetings, with all of them brainstorming about what they could do to get to Anduin. Bolvar was worried he would go and attack the other Covenants' leaders after what he had done to the Archon, so they all were in Oribos too. Everyone hoped Anduin, or whatever he was at the moment, wouldn't dare invade the city. Baine had fallen silent some time ago, staring into a wall and nervously whipping his tail in the air; Wrathion knew the tauren was one of Anduin's closest friends and so he understood his worry for the King. Jaina paced from one side to the other of the room, mumbling about spells, trying to think of _something_ that would explain Anduin's current situation.

He was offered a room in Oribos' inn, and even if he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep he accepted, if only for the sake of having some space for himself. He had just undressed for the night when he could feel someone else in the room.

“Right?”

“Your Majesty. I have... dire news to share with you”

“Did you find something?”

“We did, but... it isn't good, sir. It seems like the Banshee Queen and the Jailer have... used King Wrynn as a vessel for Arthas Menethil's soul. We couldn't discover much about their intentions, but we think they are trying to get more keys than the one from the Archon. I'm sure you remember about the Old Gods' whispers, about...”

“Five keys and five torches? Yes, I remember. I also remember something about a boy king and three lies. I kind of felt all those things were talking about Anduin, I guess I just... didn't want to believe it”

“Maybe not everything is lost yet. There must be _something_ we can do to save him. Anduin Wrynn is still there, he's just... trapped within his own body, fighting with another soul for control. We just need to find a way to get Arthas' soul out of Anduin's body. But first, we'll need to get close enough to him and that will be hard. From what we have seen, he is always next to the Jailer and Windrunner.”

“But if our guess is right, he will leave the Maw again to attemp killing another Covenant leader, right? They all are in Oribos now, but I don't think the Jailer knows that yet. Could you try to infiltrate and find out who are they going after next? We can try to get Anduin in whatever Covenant they are attacking, corner him and take him with us. Maybe”.

“I can try, sir. It won't be easy, but I know the boy means a lot to you”.

Wrathion just nodded, and dismissed Right sending her back to the Maw with the promise that she would stay safe. He went into bed ready for a restless night, and made a mental note to speak with Jaina Proudmoore first thing in the morning. That was a conversation he wasn't looking forward to.

****************

Jaina got out of bed, took a quick shower and dressed, heading to the Enclave. When she got there she could see Wrathion speaking with Baine and Taelia. The way he looked at her when she entered the room made her shiver. She could tell there were more bad news coming.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Lord Admiral, I need to talk with you about something my Blacktalons discovered yesterday. We are a step closer, even if there is still a long way until we can recover Anduin. But we know something else. We don't really know the details yet, but the information we have at the moment is that Anduin has been posessed by Arthas Menethil's soul.”

“For the Tidemother, are you sure?”

“Lady Proudmoore, I know you have a... past with that man. And I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you the news that he is still there, or at least part of him. But if my men are right, he is currently inside Anduin's body. I don't know how, but I can promise you we will fix this. We will free Anduin. But I need your help. Could you think about any spell that can fuse souls like that? And any way to undo it?”

“It won't be easy. I need to ask Khadgar and Kalec for help.”

With those words, Jaina opened a portal to Dalaran. She didn't know how she felt about all that, but her heart was aching for Anduin. And the idea of seeing some part of Arthas, after so many years... She had heard the news about Uther in passing, listening to some champions who had chose the Kyrian as their Covenant. How the once noble paladin was now a Forsworn. He was in Bastion, but she didn't know all the details; only that the Kyrian didn't trust him. Maybe she could try talking with him too? She didn't know how he would react to the news, but she would take any help she could.

When Jaina appeared in Dalaran, she was greeted by Khadgar. The Archmage had spent a long time in Karazhan only to recently come back to the floating city. He seemed to know Jaina would go there, and so he took her to Kalecgos. The three of them went to Khadgar's private chamber, and Jaina explained everything that was happening. Both Khadgar and Kalecgos had heard news about Anduin being captive in the Maw, everyone in Azeroth knew about the way the leaders had been kidnapped; but they didn't know about what had happened afterwards. Khadgar swore, a deep frown in his face, and teleported out of the room without saying a word. Probably going back to Karazhan; as much as Dalaran had a vast library, there were books and scrolls you could only find in Medivh's tower. Kalec, on the other hand, told Jaina he would talk with older blue dragons, with those that might be able to know more about mind controlling spells. While that was usually priests' field, there were arcane spells with similar effects.

Jaina sighed. They had a lot of work ahead, and she didn't know where to start. But all she knew was that she wanted to free Anduin, no matter how long it took. She thought about Wrathion, too. He had promised her that much, and she knew the dragon was worried about his mate. As much as she still didn't fully trust him, she could see in his eyes the purest kind of love.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 finally up! In case I forgot to mention on the first chapter, I'm kind of a slow writer. I don't have much time and my muses love to take holidays at the worst time possible so expect slow updates. I have quite a few things planned and have notes with ideas etc, I just need to put everything into the actual story. Also, don't expect super long chapter. Sorry if you love those, I usually do, but I can't actually bring myself to invest so much time in writing something really long.
> 
> Thank you to everyone on the Wranduin discord for their support, you guys rock! ♥

Sylvanas felt bad. The fact that she felt _anything_ other than rage was already news, but she was starting to think that maybe joining the Jailer hadn't been the best idea. Even less using the body of the _Lightdamned High King of the Alliance_ as a vessel for another soul, one Sylvanas was sadly familiar with. She hadn't seen that one coming, and she didn't know how the Jailer got Arthas' soul. She wasn't about to ask, anyway. The Jailer had left earlier that day, claiming he had business to take care of in the Maw. So Sylvanas was alone in Torghast with Anduin Wrynn. She could tell the young king was fighting for control instead of accepting whatever they had planned for him. Sylvanas had figured that much, of course. The little lion was really stubborn and he didn't know when to give up or let things go. But right now, looking into his eyes, Sylvanas could see nothing but Arthas smirking at her.

“It's good to see Varian's baby has grown up into such a handsome man. It's good having a body again, after so many years lost in this hell with just the remanents of my soul. But let's not talk about me, shall we? How have you been, Sylvanas Windrunner?”

The banshee would have thrown up if she still could do that. The way Arthas was talking to her made her feel sick. She would never be able to forget the human that killed her, and seeing him inside Wrynn's body was harder than she had anticipated.

Ignoring Arthas seemed like the best option, but the fallen prince had other ideas. He kept mocking Sylvanas, trying to make her react in any way.

“Stupid Wrynn, what are you doing? Fight for your body so I don't have to listen to this idiot one more second. Are you even still there?”

“Tsk, tsk, Sylvanas. I thought you had agreed with this plan?”

“I wasn't aware of the details. All I knew was that we would use Wrynn as a vessel, that he would be posessed by... someone to get the keys from the Covenants. But I didn't know _you_ would be the soul.”

“Well, for some reason the Jailer thought I was the best choice for the job. Aren't you happy?”

Sylvanas sighed and chose not to answer, leaving the prince? King? Alone for now.

**************

Wrathion was pacing around one of the rings in Oribos getting more anxious by the time, even if he tried to hide his emotions. He knew that something could go _really_ wrong if they didn't free Anduin, the question was how? They still needed more knowledge, more information about the kind of spell used. There was so much they didn't know...

One of his agents, a male worgen, appeared in front of him and bowing, told him they thought the Winter Queen was the next target. She was still in Oribos with the other Covenants leaders, of course, so Wrathion, Thrall, Bolvar, some of his death knights and a bunch of Champions -now known as Maw Walkers- took some wrymms to fly to the Heart of the Forest, the Night Fae's base in Ardenweald. Wrathion's agent thought Anduin wouldn't attack until the next day, so once they landed in the forest they informed its inhabitans that they had to leave their home. Only temporaly, and if their plan worked the tree would get no harm. Reluctantly, fairies and sylvar left while the Maw Walkers that had chosen the Night Fae as their Covenant took the time to show the others everything about their base. They all went to sleep early, in soft beds made of leaves. Everyone but the death knights, who didn't really need the sleep and therefore stayed up watching over the forest waiting for any sign of a blonde human approaching.

The sun was starting to peak into the dark mantle of the night when Wrathion was woken up by Bolvar himself. As soon as he opened his eyes and looked at the human's face he knew Anduin was coming. He got dressed and headad outside of the chambers he had occupied for the night, waiting with his stomach turned into a sea of knots from anxiety; he really hated feeling like that.

“ **Where is the Winter Queen? Bring her to me and no one will hurt. Keep her hidden, and you all will feel my rage** ”

Wrathion shivered when he heard that voice, so different from Anduin's. He looks different, too. His face and hair were paler, his eyes an icy blue showing no hint of emotion. The dragon could barely recognize him as his human king, but he knew that was him; his body, at least. A first line of death knights were trying to keep Anduin busy, waiting for Wrathion to react. He did, and approached the blonde.

“It's nice to meet you, mister Arthas Menethil I take it?”

“YOU! Are you the one behind all of this? Where is the Winter Queen? I won't repeat myself. I can't waste my time with any of you. I have better things to do. The Jailer has trusted me with something big and I can't fail him. Not again.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Wrathion could see Bolvar, a couple of heroes and one of his own Blacktalons were getting closer to Arthas, too busy focusing in Wrathion to notice anyone else. And before he could see anything, they all attacked as one. But Arthas managed to move out of it and threw his blade to the closest person he could hit, who was Bolvar. Luckily his plate armor protected him from getting any wounds, but he lost balance and almost fell if not for the help of two death knights. Arthas turned around ready to attack Wrathion, who in return switched to his true form and got his claws ready. He would _hate_ to hurt Anduin's body, but he wasn't about to let the blonde win.

Arthas ran to Wrathion ready to strike, blade in the air, when he suddenly stopped letting out a frustrated sigh.

“WHAT IN HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO? LEAVE ME DO MY JOB”

Everyone was shocked for a second with the scene in front of his eyes, a paralyzed Arthas merely inches away from Wrathion, and looking exhasperated. And then, the dragon smirked.

“Anduin? Are you there? Don't let him win, my dear king. Hold on a bit, we need maybe five minutes top?”

And then, looking at the blonde's face, he could see those eyes he loved so much looking back at him.

“Wrathion? What are you doing? What are you _trying to do_?”

“Saving you, Anduin. What I promised you I would always do. Just try to keep him from controlling you for a couple of minutes. Everything else after that is on me and the others.”

For a second, Wrathion thought it would be that easy. But Anduin wasn't strong enough, and Arthas regained control of his body. He went for the dragon, trying to hit him with his sword. Wrathion moved a big paw in Arthas' diferection but he dogded it and managed to stab him in the belly, the first part of his body he could hit and one that was pretty unprotected compared to others areas, as if didn't have any scales. The dragon made a surprised sound and a flicker of panic crossed his eyes before he felt Left and Right on his sides, trying to move him away from the fight. He switched back to his human form so they could move him easier, and gave a last look to Arthas, only to see Anduin looking back at him. He could tell the King was fighting harder now, and he couldn't help it but feel that the reason was that he knew Wrathion was hurt.

**************

Anduin had fought hard for control as soon as he realised Arthas had hurt Wrathion. He wasn't expecting that, and he has seen worried how Wrathion's bodyguards had taken him away. He could hear Arthas' voice teasing him and telling him to let it go, but Anduin was stubborn and wanted to fight for his own body. Trying to reach for the Light was useless when he had such a corrupted soul inside, but he internally prayed anyway for the strength he needed to do what he needed to do. And he yelled.

“BOLVAR! Whatever you were planning to do, you _must_ do it now. I won't be able to keep him at bay for long. This is your only chance”

“Thank you, my boy. I'm sorry you're going through this. Everyone is so worried about you. Jaina is trying to find what kind of spell they used on you with the help of Kalecgos and Khadgar. We won't give up, I swear it.”

Bolvar made a gesture to two of his death knights and they took a magic net, throwing it over Anduin's body. Just to be on the safe side, one of the druid heroes casted a sleep spell on him. Opening a Deathway, they all got back to Oribos and put Anduin's body in a magic cell. Arthas wouldn't be able to communicate with the Jailer or leave the cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always welcome :)

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are welcome. Updates might take time. Thank you for reading!


End file.
